Aggie

Shea loves the Aggies.  Dewayne took her to the Nebraska game a few weeks ago and had a blast.  It makes me happy to see her so excited about Aggie football (I can only imagine how much Dewanye likes it).

Phone vs. Dog Water Bowl

Need I say more?  The water bowl won.

Over the Thanksgiving break I drove mom's car into town and put my phone in the cup holder (as I normally do in my car).  When we got home, I retreived it only to see it half submerged in water.  No, there was no drink residue left in the cup holder.  The cup holder was being utilized as a water bowl for Rosie (my parent's fourth child dog).  Lesson learned.  Double check cup holders that could possibly be used for dog water bowls.

No, drying out the phone with rice didn't work.  No, I didn't see any splasing when I put my phone in the holder either.

Thanksgiving

We traveled to my parents over the Thanksgiving break.  The girls absolutely love the country.  Uncle Jared took all the kids (sans baby Eli) coyote calling.  (Last year Charlotte wasn't "big enough" to go, so she was pumped that she was a big kid now)  No worries - nothing was injured.  They were able to see some deer and a coyote. 

Shea and Bug also got to check on the chickens multiple times.  Uncle Jared informed Charlotte that the hawks were getting them, so the chickens were staying in their cage.  All the way home Charlotte was on "hawk lookout".   At one point, she exclaimed "I didn't know we have hawks in Dallas!" (I'm pretty sure all large birds in the sky were considered hawks to her).


Bug is more brave than I!



On Friday, Madison and Dewayne left to go hunting.  Yes, my high maintenance lodging girl went to the deer lease.  (The deer lease does have heat/electricity - so its not too bad).  Dewayne didn't kill anything and Madison had so much fun.  She kept texting her cousin about all the things she saw and she kept a running deer count. Dewayne said she loved being outside! Madison made herself and Bug a broom from some twigs and a branch ("just like they did in the old days"). 

 

She stayed warm!

She looks so grown up!

During hunting, Bug and I did a little shopping with my mom and sisters.  When we got home, Charlotte said she missed Madison.  They sure do know how to push each others buttoms, but they do love each other as well!

Six Flags Fun

This past Saturday was "Six Flags Day" for Mary Kay, so our family attended. 

It was quite entertaining listening to Madison tell Charlotte all about the rides during the week leading up to it (two kids having a grown up conversation about what the rides do and where they should go first). 

The day turned out great.  Madison's thrill level is steadily increasing and she really enjoyed herself (she even rode Judge Roy Scream).  Charlotte was a bit more hesitant and stuck with the less extreme rides (teacups, carousel and kiddie area). 


If only you could see Madison rolling her eyes since we made her ride with Charlotte!



Bug having fun!

The girls got to see a few characters and were happy. 

Tweety Bird

Bugs Bunny

Overall, we had a good time and the girls were great. It was a truly enjoyable family day with no meltdowns.  Hopefully this is a trend!!

One less fish

As you know we got some fish at the beginning of the school year (and Charlotte's fish subsequently ate one of Madison's fish....Life Lesson). 

Well, I vaguely remember reading about some types of fish jumping out of an "open top" aquarium, but I didn't give it much thought.  I guess I should have.

We arrived home yesterday to find one of Bug's fish "expired" on the counter by the tank.  Poor thing - Bug was terribly upset and Madison thinks they are "even" now.  When will things not be such a competition?

Charlotte's Take on The Mayflower

When I picked up Charlotte from school yesterday, Mrs. Debbie informed me that Bug participated quite well in the discussion on The Mayflower.  It was hilarious when she was explaining it to me the first time.  She said it with such enthusiasm and was so sure of herself.    Below is a clip of her explaining it again later that night - a little distracted.  Notice she says habaneros instead of bows and arrows. 

Growing Up

Oh how Shea is growing up. 

For the past year Madison has been begging for a sleepover (this was a conversation we had multiple times per week).  I kept putting it off by telling her that I would think about it and maybe one day she could have one/attend one.   Well, it happened.

Apparently Madison's friend had already told her that she was inviting her, but Madison didn't say anything to me.  One evening, I got an e-mail from the mom and I immediately felt anxious.  I wasn't ready for this.......... When did my girl get big enough to attend a non-family sleepover?

We purchased the birthday gift, packed her sleeping bag, overnight bag and she was ready.  Dewayne dropped her off along with the "emergency contact" sheet I made.  (I wish I could have been the one to do the drop off, but perhaps I would have made too big of a scene - maybe it worked better this way). 

When I picked her up Sunday morning, she was all smiles.  She had a wonderful time and is now "hooked" on sleepovers.

Thank you Julie and Isabella for making Madison's first sleepover a great one!

Remembering Daisey

Daisey has reached Dog Heaven (there is a children's book titled "Dog Heaven" that we bought a while back to prepare the girls).  She had the best 14 years a dog could possibly have.  I love you Chicken!

Daisey's Bucket List

Daisey (aka The Chicken) is old.  Fourteen to be exact (that's like 100ish in people years). 

I got her in college and she has been with me since (she was here before both Dewayne and the girls). 

As with all pets, she has a very unique personality.  She got her nickname "chicken" because she always hid whenever anyone would come to the house.  As she grew older, the name stuck (try explaining to your baby/toddler, that the Chicken is really a dog.....talk about messing up your kiddos!)

Her age is now showing.  Seeing this situation progress on a daily basis makes me wonder what her "bucket list" would be. Here goes.

Daisey's Bucket List

• Get a professional b-day cake (check)
• Swim (check - lake, pool and pond)
• Roll in dead things (check - still don't know what it was)
• Get sprayed by skunk (check)
• Knock over kids for food (check, check, check, check.....)
• Catch a rabbit (check, check)
• Ride in the back of a truck (check)
• Go to PetSmart to pick out own bone (check)
• Get own kids meal at fast food restaurant (will be done this week)
• Vomit on hard to clean area (check)
• Begin to eat own vomit (check)
• Chase a cow (check)
• Drag 20 lb bag of food to bed while owners at work and indulge (check)
• Require dog ER visit (check)
• Get in dog fight (check)
• Run in the snow and eat snowballs (check)
• Ride in a boat (check)
• Attend a wedding (check)
• Enjoy garbage while alone in house (check, check, check........)

Daisey has done a lot and I believe has thoroughly enjoyed every moment.  She is such a sweet chicken and we will enjoy the time we have left with her.

Babies

I love babies.  Babies are so sweet, so soft, and so cute......

This past Friday our family grew (no - I'm not expecting).  Friday was the birth of my nephew, Eli.  He was born at 12:55pm in Austin, weighing in at 7 pounds, 11 ounces and was 18.5 inches long.

 

Congratulations to Amanda, Jared, Gillian and Avanly!   I can't wait to meet him!

(It almost makes me want to have more.  But then I remember colic, crying, diapers, night feeding, excessive amounts of laundry.....and I think I will be perfectly happy with a nephew!)

Intelligence?

I can't tell if this is the sign of intelligence.

At least she didn't cover her eyes.....

Easy Bake

As a child I always wanted an easy bake oven (I'm guessing most little girls did).  I now know (or at least think I know) why mom and dad never got us girls one. 

Easy Bake = Big Mess and Time Sucker

Last year for Madison's birthday, my mom (aka Grandma), got one for Shea after I mentioned she would like it.  She loves it.  Charlotte loves it.  Me, not so much..... 

Don't get me wrong, I love watching the girls have fun.  They happily gather the 50 accessories and thoroughly discuss the pros and cons of each mix/frosting combination.  They measure and mix so vigorously. 

But, in a nutshell, the easy bake oven is quite a tedious toy.  It takes 10 minutes to "preheat".  (I use the term preheat lightly - the oven cooks with a light bulb)  Considering it takes 8 minutes to cook and an additional 8 minutes to cool (and only cooks one teeny-tiny pan at a time), it takes us a full hour to complete two small desserts for the girls. 

But, the girls like it, so we indulged in a little Easy Bake activity earlier this week.

Prepping the mix

Licking every last bit from the bowl.

Man - this frosting is good!

Enjoying the final product!

Doesn't quite look like the picture on the box...I can't imagine why!







Homework

Madison, being a 2nd grader, has homework Monday-Thursday.  When we get home we usually get started on it - that way she doesn't dread it all evening.  She didn't fight the homework assignment too much today.  

 It used to be a challenge helping Shea with homework and also trying to keep Charlotte somewhat quiet and happy. 

Until now.

Bug likes homework (odd, I know).  She does her "homework" when Madison does.   It started one day when Charlotte asked where her homework was.  I dug down into the bottom of the coloring books and came out with a kindergarten readiness workbook.  Most of the time she happily does her "homework" the same time Madison does.  Sometimes she works in the book and other times she "does her letters". 

Not too bad for 3yrs old!

I'm sure the excitement of homework will subside for Charlotte and it will be back to the craziness of keeping her quiet and helping Madison.  But, I'm going to enjoy this while it lasts!

Fun Times at the Park

Finally, with cooler temperatures we went to the park! 

It's hard to catch an "in motion" picture on the swing.

Climber fun!

Bug did fall off the climbing wall, but dusted off her woodchips and went right back at it.

Disney

Any family with kids knows how powerful Disney is.  Boy or girl, young or old, Disney is everywhere. And - kids love it.

The Disney channel is the preferred channel in our house.  Hannah Montanna, Wizards of Waverly Place, Phineas and Ferb, etc.  The girls will basically watch whatever is on.  Madison and Charlotte can recognize all the Disney music stars and their songs (Miley Cyrus, Selena Gomez, The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato).

Madison has also perfected the remote control operation (of course to aid in Disney Channel watching).  She knows all the main functions (pause, play and record).  Charlotte even knows Disney is #250.  On the way home from church (listening to Disney on XM radio), we were treated to this.

Isn't she quite the performer?  I guess that's the typical younger sibling.  Exposed to things "older" than what she should be.  Charlotte would rather sing Selena Gomez instead of the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse song.

Madison refused to participate in the vocals.  Maybe she knows I would post it. 

When I Grow Up...........

What do you hear when your child answers the question "What to you want to be when you grow up?"

Like most parents, we hear the answers change over time as our kids get older.  Two years ago, at open house in Kindergarten, there were drawings of what the kids wanted to be when they grew up.  I saw lots and lots of drawings of teachers, firemen, doctors.....

Then I saw something I didn't quite understand.  Madison had drawn "the place where you take your dogs when you go on vacation".  She wanted to work at the pet lodge (at least the assignment was all her with no influence by her peers).  She was 5.  Her aspirations have changed a little - now she wants to be a farmer and live in the country.  She said she would grow corn and sell it to get money.

As for Charlotte, who knows.  She is only 3 and she changes her mind quite often.  But, as of last week, this was her "when I grow up" occupation.

Yes, you heard it correctly - a "baker" at Panda Express. (sorry for the narrow video - still learning).

College Station

This past weekend we all got to experience college football.   Dewayne was excited about it because it WAS football.  The girls were excited about it because it was a road trip, overnight in a hotel and lots of concession stand food.

The weekend started off with a soccer game for Charlotte.  OK - let me re-phrase that.  The weekend started off with Charlotte refusing to play at her first soccer game while hanging back about 20 yards away from the field (all by herself).  

After watching the other kids play soccer we left for College Station.  The car ride was pretty uneventful, except for one conversation.  Madison asked Dewayne if the Aggies were in the NFL.  Dewayne explained that the Aggies were a college football team and only the good college football players went to the NFL after they were done with college.  She said "So only the Longhorns go to the NFL?"  Dewayne just continued driving - this innocent question is one he won't forget anytime soon.

We arrived in time to have lunch and check into our hotel.  There were two small issues with our hotel. 

1- They didn't have the room type we reserved (but we managed).

2 - It didn't live up to Madison's "high maintenance" expectations.  Dewayne is right. I admit it. Shea is high maintenance when it comes to lodging.  It is my fault.  

After a little rest, we headed to campus.  We stopped for face tattoos and the girls each got a Reveille.  On our way to the stadium, we saw Parsons Mounted Calvary.  While looking at the horses, Bug asked why they had tattoos on their butt.  My city girl doesn't understand branding!  

Happy with their prize!



My Loves!



Shea loves it!

The girls were good.  Madison absolutely loves going to the games.  Charlotte crashed for almost the entire 4th quarter, but was pretty happy when she woke up.  A fun weekend for us all!

Breakfast for Dinner

It gets pretty hectic after work with daycare pickup, homework and "starving" children - so we had breakfast for dinner.  Its easy, requires no thawing or defrosting,  and the girls love it! 

Last night Charlotte was looking at a kids cookbook and zoned in on pancakes with a cream cheese and strawberry filling.  So, that's what we did this evening. 



Charlotte and the cookbook

We had a fun time cooking together.  Charlotte cut the strawberries with her plastic knife (basically squished and mutilated half the container and decided to leave the rest whole).  Madison was in charge of mixing the batter.  She mixed and the worked on the table set up.   

Madison balancing on the counter

Dinner was good (not healthy - but it tasted great)!  The girls were so proud that they contributed and it made me happy that they enjoyed it.

Look how proud she is!

Yummy!

The Country and Barbie Dancing

This post doesn't have any particular topic, just "a day in the life with the Barrows" kind of stuff.  So, here goes......

We went to my parents this weekend for a baby shower and fun on the farm (not really a farm, but it is in the country and the girls are absolutely in heaven when there).  We had a baby shower Saturday morning for my sister, Amanda, and soon to arrive Baby Eli.  (side note - it's amazing on how much baby gear has evolved since we purchased things for Madison in 2003.  The strollers now have ipod docks!)

We spent Saturday afternoon doing "country" things.  The girls and I got to see a Clydesdale horse.  It was so big compared to the "normal" horse standing by it (there is NO way I would have let Shea on it).  The horse viewing didn't end the animal acquaintances.  They also saw cows, ducks, got to pet a baby rabbit, feed the chickens and loved on Rosie (mom and dad's 4th child dog).  We also swam and the girls got to play with their cousins.

Back in the City  - On Tuesday, Charlotte started dance (tap and ballet) lessons at school .  Mrs. Debbie said she did great and Bug said she had fun.  Hopefully she doesn't sing the Barbie and the Diamond Castle song while she dances at school ("If I could wish for one thing, it would be the smile that you bring........)  Me knowing the words is a pretty good indicator that the song is overused in our house. 

Perhaps the dvd should get "lost"...but then the special request would be The Barbie Diaries, Barbie Fairytopia, Barbie in the Twelve Dancing Princesses, Barbie and the Nutcracker, Barbie in The Princess and the Pauper...........you get Bug's obsession with Barbie movies.

Madison is chugging along at school.   We haven't had too much of an issue with homework and she seems to like her teacher. She reminds me to put 5 quarters and a dollar bill in her lunch on her "ice cream" day (quarters are just in case the machine is picky and decides not accept a crunched dollar bill).  Second grade is good for us so far.  Hopefully it will stay that way!

Football and Tea Time

Our Labor Day weekend was packed with activities.  It was the first weekend for Aggie football and Madison begged to go with Dewayne (I'm still not sure if it was due to the football or snacks - but either way she was super excited).  While Madison was dressed for supporting the Aggies....

(with her bag of "activities" for the 3+ hour car ride)

 Charlotte was dressed for tea time...........

(the dress, necklace, shoes and bracelet probably weighed 10 pounds!)

I told Charlotte earlier this week that were going to have tea and she would be able to use real glass teacups (a big no-no in our house).  She exclaimed "oh Mommy, I will be careful."  The anticipation grew and she was very excited when the time came (so excited that she set her clothes and accessories out ahead of time for the ultimate decision making!)

We had reservations at a tea house in the downtown area for noon.  The guests included Charlotte, myself, Rebecca (Bug's friend), Marissa (Rebecca's mom), and Jenifer.  The theme was princess.  The girls had princess place settings, a glass slipper (plastic), princess tea books, a wand and their own tea pot.  The young girls had "pink" tea which was basically pink lemonade.  They enjoyed pouring their own cup and sipping so gently out of the dainty, glass teacup. 

Bug is so happy!

Charlotte and Rebecca sipping...and sipping....and sipping

Marissa and Rebecca

After tea, the girls were treated to dessert, which was ice cream with sprinkles.

Originally I planned the tea party as something to keep Charlotte happy while Madison was with dad (so there would be no tears and comments that Madison is the only one who gets to do fun things).  It turned out to be a completely rewarding experience with Charlotte. It was nice spending the "special time" with bug and I was reminded again just how wonderful she is.

My sweet Cheeto Bug!

Back to School

As the end of August rolled around, we kissed goodbye to summer break and the girls "graduated" to the next grade level.  Honestly I was ready for school to start.  Don't get me wrong, I love summer vacation, but I was ready for routine (except homework) and the hope of slightly cooler weather. 

This year Charlotte moved from to Middle-Pre to to Upper-Pre (she will start Kindergarten in August 2012) and Madison moved to 2nd Grade. 

Upper Pre - Still at the same school, Bug moved up one classroom.  She moved up with a large chunk of her friends, so it was pretty painless.  Most of the kids in her class have been there since infancy so there was no look of terror on Bugs face (or mine) at drop off on the first day.  (Note..... kindergarten will be different.  There is nothing like being thrown into a new school, with unfamiliar teachers and not knowing 95% of your classmates)

  

In Upper Pre, there is a bit more structure as the teachers prepare the kids for what lies ahead in the next few years.  The kids are given more responsibility and are expected to take responsibility for their actions.  The first two weeks in Upper Pre have been uneventful, which is nice.  One of Bug's teachers told me that Charlotte keeps asking them if she is making good choices.  Hopefully the newness won't wear off anytime soon and Upper Pre will continue to go well. 

2nd Grade - Shea has grown so much.  I remember crying two years ago when we dropped her off in her Kindergarten class, the both of us not really knowing what to expect.  I remember sending her to school with that little laminated neck tag with her name, homeroom teacher and student ID number - just in case she was found wandering around the halls of the elementary school.  I remember the difficult adjustment from knowing all the daycare teachers to dropping your child off with strangers. 

This year I was prepared.  I knew what to expect.  Madison knew where the 2nd grade hall was and didn't even want to hold my hand on the way in (at least Charlotte still likes to hold my hand).  She said hi to her old teachers, unpacked her backpack, found her desk and gave Dewayne and I a quick hug.  That was it.  No crying from Madison.  No crying from me.  Wow.  My little girl is growing up (now - I'm crying typing this).  She is growing into such a wonderful person.  Her energy, excitement and spirit are wonderful and I wonder how 2nd grade will make her even more unique! 

Below:  2 years ago (Madison starting Kinder and Bug in Toddler 1)

 Below:  Last year (Madison starting 1st Grade and Bug in Lower Pre)

Below:  August 2010 (Madison starting 2nd Grade and Charlotte in Upper Pre)

Haven't they grown!!!

Life Lesson

Where do I begin? The girls have been begging for another pet (Madison has requested a hamster, rabbit, hermit crab, bird, cat, dog....and Charlotte requests whatever Madison does). We weren't up for a lot of added responsibility (two working parents with two kids and a dog is PLENTY), so we decided a nice group of fish would be a good start.

The Saturday before school started we purchased the aquarium and all the "gear". We were told that we couldn't purchase the fish that day because you had to get your tank water just right to prevent the untimely death of your new pets. So, we waited a few days.

Finally, the day came! The girls and I went to a locally owned pet store and a super nice guy directed us to all the fish that would live in "harmony" for a long time. (Thinking about it, next time when I hear a 17 year old say "harmony", it will send up a giant, red flag). Charlotte picked out two Dalmation Molly fish (black and white polka dotted) and Madison picked out a guppy and a random yellow fish. The employee said we also need two "bottom feeder" fish to clean up all the yuckiness that comes with (aka- out of) the fish. We left the store with six fish in two baggies.

Charlotte, being a fan of Disney villians, named her two fish Ursula and Cruella (should I be worried?). Madison picked the names of Shimmer and Sunshine. After talking to the girls, we decided that the bottom feeder fish (cleaner fish) were named Mom and Dad. I think this name is very fitting, but Dewayne wasn't a fan. The girls promptly renamed them to Oreo and Silver.

All was well for a bit. We fed the fish once a day and they seemed happy swimming around. I noticed that one of Charlotte's fish was a tad bit dominant (red flag #2), but didn't think much of it. This past Sunday (less than a week of having the new pets), Charlotte exclaimed "Shimmer is missing!" We looked and looked and looked. I even took out the filter to make sure Shimmer wasn't plastered to the suction part. No luck. Madison's next observation was that Cruella looked abnormally large. She did look pretty big.

Bug's fish ate Shea's fish. The Natural Selection science lesson has been explained with minimal crying from Madison.

We will not be purchasing any more guppies. Only fish as big as Cruella. Hopefully this will solve the problem, but only time will tell.

Beach Bound Part II

The latter half of our Destin vacation was filled with more fun. We went to Baytowne Wharf one evening to take a look at the boats and to dine at the waterfront. After a great dinner we walked around a bit and the girls got to "donate" to a animal charity and take fun pictures with some parrots.

Charlotte had fun carefully holding the bird so he could "play dead".

We also found a restaurant that offered Bananas Foster for dessert, so we stopped in and introduced the girls to the deliciousness of Bananas Foster. They were impressed with the fire, but seemed to like their overpriced ice cream just as much. Perhaps when they get older they will enjoy it more?

On Thursday morning we caved in and took the girls to Big Kahuna water park. I was dreading the park a bit and tried to convince Charlotte that we (she and I) could do something fun and "special", but she wouldn't have any of it. She wanted to do what her big sister did, so we all went to the water park.

We were pleasantly surprised. It turned out to be a nice day (if you ignore Dewayne's motion sickness towards the end). Charlotte declared that I would be her "partner" at the park - so that left Dewayne to tour the park with Shea. There was a nice area for younger kids with a pretty big water slide that Charlotte loved. She spent most of the day climbing up and sliding down. I had the pleasure of standing in knee deep water watching!


Dewayne got a much needed break after a bit and I got to go on a few rides with Madison. At the end we took a "family" ride down Thunder River and headed back to the condo for some rest.

We spent our last night at another restaurant with a beach view. I must add that we had to eat outside because it smelled "too stinky" inside. Madison can't handle the fish smell and we didn't want to hear her complaining the whole time. She actually walked through the restaurant with the neck of her shirt covering her nose and mouth. Overall, our outside dining turned out good because we got to enjoy a nice sunset.



To sum it up - family vacation was great! It was nice to spend time as a family outside of the house. The girls still talk about it and and I know we will remember it for years to come!